REAL WORLD ILLUSTRATIONS: The Lawlessness Of The North In The War Of Northern Aggression

I believe the War of Northern Aggression (‘Civil War’ to the North) is an excellent example of the points I have been trying to make in my last two posts here on the Road to Concord, and my most recent post on The OYL. The Constitution is an agreement between the States. It creates the federal government. As the creation, the federal government is not and can never be over the States. The States remain the master of their creation. This is clearly expressed in the Constitution and by our founders. It is why they both stress that the States remain sovereign. They retain the right of self-direction. Furthermore, the federal government is just that: the governing body of a federation. A federation is not a nation; it is a collection of willing participants who freely participate in that coalition. In this sense, the Constitution is an ‘if-then’ contract: if the States wish to partake of the terms of that contract, then they must concede to the requirements. However, if the States no longer wish to be bound by the Constitution, they retain the right to secede. In fact, the men who wrote and ratified the Constitution expressly said that this was the case. So what happened to this right to secede?

When the South seceded — and it does not matter that they did so to retain the practice of slavery — but when they seceded, they were exercising their right to leave the Union. In other words, their action was legal under the Constitution. Now, slavery was and remains contrary to Natural law, but two wrongs do not and cannot make a right. Therefore, when the North attacked the South to force it back into the Union, the North violated both the Constitution and Natural Law (technically making three wrongs — slavery and the North’s violations of civil and Natural law). By using force against the South, the North was forcing its will upon the South. If anyone argues that this is legal, then they would find themselves in the unenviable position of having to defend the actions of any aggressor — even Hitler, Mussolini and Hirohito. There would be no logically consistent grounds upon which one could justify the North’s aggression while denouncing that of the Axis powers in WW II (or any similar example from history). The North acted lawlessly by abandoning the rule of law in favor of the rule of ‘might-makes’right.’

This is what is happening today: the Federal (now national) government is using force and coercion to beat down the States. But the States are also allowing it. The States still retain the same Natural Right to secede from the nation as the Colonies did in the American Revolution. It can certainly be shown that the national government in Washington has committed the same or similar violations as the Crown and Parliament committed against the Colonies. So the States would be equally justified in declaring their independence from the national government. But here is the real catch: the People of the States have grown so accustomed to their comfortable lives under the socialist policies of the national government that they would rather live in their gilded cages than fight for their liberty.

This brings us to the real issue of our time: Americans talk the talk, but — when push comes to shove — they don’t really want to walk the walk required to have real liberty. They just want more room in their gilded cages. Sadly, to few even realize that this is lawlessness, too. We have no right to cede our Natural Rights because they do not belong to us. They belong to our Creator. But we are willing to trade His gifts for the bribes of men offering an illusion of more free stuff. You see, liberty requires personal responsibility — to God. And we are a nation that has turned its back on God. So, if we are ever to return to our founding principles and ideals, we must first turn the nation back to God.

I simply do not see any evidence that the majority of Americans are even willing to listen to the Gospel, let alone receive and embrace it — not anymore. So I do not see any indication that enough Americans still value liberty enough to do what is required to achieve it: repent and obey God’s Natural laws.

2 thoughts on “REAL WORLD ILLUSTRATIONS: The Lawlessness Of The North In The War Of Northern Aggression”

Very lucid explanation. Our gilded cage friends, however, will never understand that a cage is still a prison regardless of how comfortable it is. I am minded of 1Cor 2:14, and of Christ’s arguments regarding freedom. Thanks!